Vegetation restoration slashes sediment and runoff, transforming Yellow River Basin.
Vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau has led to a significant reduction in sediment discharge in the Yellow River. By analyzing vegetation changes from the late 1970s to 2013, researchers found that increasing vegetation coverage from 11%-25% to 35%-55% resulted in lower sediment and flood yields. This improvement in vegetation is crucial for reducing sediment concentration in future floods in the area.